So Brand New
by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep
Summary: Once again I have been consumed by something that was meant to be a qwik write. Inspired by Toushiro in a school uniform, and emboldened by bayo-bayo's 'Tea Party', I bring you fluffy Hitsuzu goodness!


I'm messin'wit' da BLEACH-verse now, baby

_Authoress's disclaimers: Sure, they'll never meet, but when has _logic_ ever stopped a rabid fangirl? So after reading 'Tea Party' by , I was inspired to write my own little Hitsuzu. I'm only up to episode #64 on the anime, and the beginning of the Arrancar arc in Shonen Jump magazine, so no spoilers please._

_One more thing- when I started this, I didn't know anyone's actual ages. I'd been assuming Ichigo to be about 17, and Yuzu abou1 13, w/Karin in the middle. I have since learned the girls are twins, and everybody's younger. Huh. Go fig. _

_But it's too late now, so enjoy it as it was intended- a nice bit o' fluff to waste a span of free time on._

_Tite Kube owns all BLEACH characters._

It's All Brand New

By Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep

"You're out of your mind."

Rangiku huffed and fell against the kitchen chair. "Well it was _just_ a suggestion!"

Hitsugaya Toushiro glared at his well-endowed lieutenant. "Dressing up in a giant bear costume and prancing around on a stage is unbecoming of an officer, Masumoto!"

"Oh, you're just scared everyone will find out you have no soul." She paused, then burst out laughing at her own pun. She paid no heed to the ice-cold stare - affection by teasing was a mainstay of their working relationship. And anyway, he really needed to lighten up.

"Konnichiwa, Masumoto-chan, Toushiro-san!" Orihime struggled in the front door, arms laden with paper sacks bulging with produce. Rangiku leapt from her spot, fussing and pulling bags out of the protesting girl's arms. The girl's apartment had served well as a base for the two Soul Reapers whenever the need to stay more than a few hours in the world of the living arose. Hollows were, of course, still an ever-present threat, but Aizen was a formidable foe, and a few stray Arrancars popped up enough to force the Society to enlist high-ranking shinigami into recon missions of various lengths of time in the world of the living.

_'As long as Ichigo is around, they __**will**__ keep coming.'_ The young captain mused tiredly. As great an asset the redheaded teen was; he was a magnet for corrupted souls eager to prove their worth.

"What's wrong, Toushiro-san?" Orihime smiled brightly as she placed a clean white plate in front of him. '_Oh gods!! Is she cooking again?!'_ his face froze in horror as his digestive system threatened to shut down in protest.

"There've been reports of Hollow activity in the ninth sector." Rangiku replied as she set down 3 tall glasses and silverware. Orihime scrunched her face up in concentration. "That's normally not unusual, but with all the uproar Aizen has caused…" she trailed off with a sigh as she smoothed out a napkin.

"Ninth sector…. isn't that near Watanabe street?' Orihime had grown quite familiar with Soul Society mapping system during her tenure as hostess. She'd found it simple after a few days study, and now often found herself directing strangers using it (much to Toushiro's annoyance). Her hand flew to her face in horror as her mental maps merged. "Oh, that's terrible! Ichigo's sisters' go to the school near there! Won't they be in danger?"

"There's only the slimmest chance!" Toushiro tried to assuage her fear before it rose into panic. "The Hollows that have appeared there in the past have generally been low-level, not enough to disrupt Ichigo's sisters'… Wait- he has more than one?" Toushiro furrowed his brow in surprise. He'd known only of Karin -a dark-haired tomboy who was also had some of ability to sense Hollows. Did this other sister have a high spiritual pressure as well?

"Oh, yes, he has 2 younger sisters- Karin and Yuzu. But even if it were only a rumor, perhaps it would be best to get them out of the area for a while? I don't think Yuzu has any reitsu whatsoever. Not to mention Ichigo won't take this kindly, even if there's a slim chance of them getting hurt." She stared thoughtfully out the window. "It's a shame though…. Yuzu really wanted to go to that dance…"

Rangiku's ears pricked at this tidbit of information. "Dance? Where? At the school?"

"Y-yes! It's like a spring ball kind of thing. For the students-"

"Does she have a date?"

The boy and girl stared dumbfounded at the woman, who suddenly looked _very _mad, and _very_ eager. "Umm, I think you're a little old for her, Masumoto-chan…" Orihime said carefully.

"What?" Rangiku waved her hands dismissively. "Nah, nah, not _me!_ HIM!!" She thrust an index finger triumphantly at her superior officer, a Joker's smile across her face

You. Have. Lost. Your. Mind."

"I think I'm the only one thinking clearly! A commonplace, everyday human world event, smack dab in the area of suspicion? Tell me that's not serendipity! See, it all works out - Yuzu gets to go to her dance, we get to discover and destroy any possible Hollows before they do major damage, and _you_ get some fun!"

"Look…" Toushiro started, but Orihime cut him off.

"That really **is** a good idea, Masumoto-chan! I know someone in the building who has some nice clothes in his size! I'll go ask him now and see if he'd be willing to lend them to us!"

"That's Great! And I'll go clear things with Ichigo!"

Like a pair of buxom bullets, the 2 women barreled out the door, leaving behind a flabbergasted boy working furiously to form a verbal command.

**-:-**

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked with a tinge of exasperation. Soul Reapers at your door were never a good sign, especially if that reaper was wearing a '_Don't worry, it's for your own good!_' expression on their face.

"Is Kurosaki Yuzu around? I'd like to talk to her."

Ichigo stared in surprise. He wasn't aware any other the soul reapers besides Rukia were even _aware_ he had family. You'd never know it the way they went traipsing around his house! But that wasn't the issue at hand. What really mattered was that Rangiku was looking for his baby sister, and that couldn't bode well. "Yea? Well, she's not home!"

"Who's at the door, Ichigo?" The red haired substitute began to twitch. She just _had_ to walk in _now_?? Rangiku swept by him and beamed brightly at the girl.

"So, _you're_ Yuzu Kurosaki! Oh, you _are_ a cutie!"

"Um…. thank you?"

"My name is Masumoto Rangiku, I'm one of Ichigo's teachers at school. I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?"

"A favor?! I'll bet you never even heard of her before today and now you wanna get her mixed up in this?!" Ichigo roared, pointing an accusatory finger at the older woman. Poor Yuzu stared back and forth in confusion between her irate brother and the complacent stranger.

"Mixed up in what?" Poor Yuzu's brow furrowed with confusion.

Rangiku twirled her around, an arm draped across her shoulders. Gently she led them to a small bench, where they sat side by side. "Well, it's like this. I have a…nephew, who's about your age. See, he's very sweet, but tends to be on the quiet side, so he doesn't make friends very easily. And that's where you come in!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Well, I heard from a little birdie there's a dance coming up at your school, and I wondered if I could burden you with the task of going out with him?"

"Wait-do you mean…."Ichigo exploded into a new rage. "YOU'RE SETTING UP MY SISTER ON A BLIND DATE?!"

Rangiku deftly whipped out her arm, releasing an ordinary-looking hankie, which hit the substitute reaper square in the face. Then she returned a sweet smile to the worried girl as Ichigo screamed muffled curses as he desperately tried to remove it.

"I'm afraid that's the long and short of it, Yuzu-chan. We've just transferred here, and we have no other family." She sniffed delicately, daubing her eyes with another hanky. "He's a very nice boy but…. he's been so withdrawn since he lost his parents! All the kids his age stay away from him, because he seems so moody.

Oh, but I can see the pain and sadness in his eyes! As his mother, I just want to know he has good friends who support him and make him happy! Oh, it's hard enough to try to be a mother figure **and** a friend, and then knowing your baby is in pain everyday!!" She wailed out the last words, sobbing into her hanky. From the floor on the other side of the room, surrounded by various objects, Ichigo growled at the showy display, the empowered cloth still plastered over his mouth. "I overheard your brother mention to his friends about this dance and how you were going, and I thought of how kind and generous your brother was, and I hoped you'd be toooo!" She wailed again.

Water welled in Yuzu's eyes as her lip trembled. How sad, she thought, to be an orphan, and to feel so unwelcome in a new town! She knew all too well what losing a parent was like. Was it really such a sacrifice? "Oh, how sad! Yes, I'll go with him! Maybe we can help him make more friends, okay?"

Rangiku's smile appeared, and she pulled Yuzu into a bear hug while at the same time managing to kick her older brother into the opposite wall. "You will?! That's _so_ generous of you! Thank you so much!!"

"W-w-ell" Yuzu gasped for air as she pulled her head out of the older woman's generous cleavage. "The dance starts at 7 tomorrow…"

"Great! He'll meet you there!" She replied. "Ta-ta!"

Like a whirlwind, she was out the door, leaving a fuming Ichigo (finally free of the constrictive item) and a lightly blushing Yuzu behind.

**-:-**

From a darkened alley alongside the school, Toushiro took a deep, calming breath. Eyes closed, he attempted to radiate a sense of peace throughout the gigai that housed him.

"Masumoto, will you _stop_ that?!" He slapped away the hands that were straightening his collar and tie for the billionth time since he'd donned the borrowed clothes. They actually fit well, and looked relatively new. It was small consolation, but at this point his ego was willing to take _anything_.

"Well, I can't help it! I just want you to look nice for your big night!"

He eyed her incredulously. "May I remind you that this is a _**surveillance mission**_?"

She waved the words away merrily. "Yes, yes, yes, I _know_. But would you rather that it get back to the Soul Society that my captain is a sloppy dresser as well as a lousy dancer?" She gasped as she was yanked down to his eye level. The teal orbs were slits of white-hot fury.

"This. **Never.** Reaches. The Society. Understood??" She nodded and murmured a small agreement, aware that she reaching a level of danger better suited for a Menos Grande. After a moment to be sure, he released his tall friend with a sigh, turning his attention back to the school across the street. A small group of young people poured out of a car, all giggling and gibbering in excitement. "Rukia is taking care of…the northern part of the city?"

Rangiku smiled. "Yes, Ichigo will be otherwise occupied tonight." She bit back her grin as she watched the boy's body twitch in irritation.

"I assume **you** are going to busy doing something other than inventing new ways to humiliate me?"

"Yes, Captain. I will be monitoring the nearby area for any trace of activity. If any is found, I will intercept it immediately, contacting you immediately if I am I need of assistance. Likewise, I will be ready to assist _you_ if there is a clear danger to the civilians within the school itself or the surrounding area." She replied with full seriousness.

"Mmph." He nodded curtly, satisfied with her answer. He stared at the building a bit longer, before finally whining, "You _had_ to tell her I had white hair?"

She swallowed her laugh. "Well, she was going to find out about it sooner or later!" She giggled as she leaned down and squeezed his shoulders with sisterly affection, gently pressing him forward. Toushiro complied, grumbling under his breath how a wig would have saved him some dignity, and how he was going to have a miserable time. Rangiku's eyes softened as he crossed the street. She'd become deeply fond of her captain over the years. She'd watched as he pushed away childishness notions in lieu of adulthood's jadedness. But every so often, it peeked through and reminded her he was still very much a young boy somewhere deep inside.

**-:-**

Toushiro groused and grumbled all the way, glaring at the concrete stairs as if to make them beg for mercy for leading him to abject misery. His sharper soul reaper senses allowed him to avoid bumping into the excitable others, and therefore avoid attracting excessive attention.

"Toushiro Histugaya?"

He looked up. A pair of baby pink flats, connected to a (rather nice) pair of legs, connected to a baby pink dress that had a slightly flared hem, and a heart shaped top held up by 2 thin straps. Connected to all that was a pair of shy brown eyes framed with thick lashes accentuated by a shy smile and a soft blush.

"Gwauh?" Toushiro smartly responded as his stomach flipped. As his mind began to work again, he became aware he was standing there slack-jawed and gaping like a common jack-a-nape. He shook his head hard, straightened up, cleared his throat, and said in his most authoritative tone, "Yes, that's me. You must be Ichigo's younger sister, Yuzu."

"Yes, that's right!" Yuzu smiled and gave him a small, polite bow. He inwardly cursed his body for its reaction to the view the act gave him. What the hell was wrong with him? "It's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Karakura town." She eyed him with a smile. "Gee, you really do have white hair, don't you? When your aunt was describing it, I just thought she meant you were really blonde!"

A small flutter of irritation rose up. "Well, sorry to disappoint you." He said sarcastically.

"Oh no! It's very nice! I like how you made it spiky!!" She reached out a pink, gloved hand and patted it a little. For a moment, Toushiro thoroughly believed his gigai had learned to float. What was that humming-wait, was he _purring_? "Look, it even matches my corsage!"

He regained control of himself to look at the hand she was holding up. A white lily corsage was wrapped around the slender wrist. Lilies had always been one of his favorite flowers…was it coincidence, or had his 'aunt' suggested it?

"It's lovely... " He said softly. She beamed, and then, to the young captain's surprise, flung her arms around him in a bear hug.

"Oh, thank youuuuu! I was afraid it might be too much, because Karin said it was too gaudy, and Ichigo and Daddy were busy…" The blue-eyed boy would have liked to let her fulfill her apparent need for contact, but he was becoming _very_ aware that his body was becoming _very_ warm, so he pulled her back at arm's length.

"Yes! Well! Maybe we should go inside now?" His voice cracked slightly in panic-what was this girl _doing_ to him?? This was unbecoming of one of the Gotei 13! He ran to the door, and held it open, determinedly avoiding any eye contact. She stood still a moment, a baffled expression on her face, and then walked inside. He followed her, looking up in time to see the hurt puppy dog expression on her face. Another girl called her name, and she turned away, leaving him feeling like a complete and utter ass.

Heaven help him….

**-:-**

The dance was in full swing. Loud, fast music pumped over speaker systems as bright lights flickered in a variety of shades. Some adolescents were bouncing about on the polished gym floor; many more were clustered into small groups, laughing and screaming conversations. Dour looking adults floated though the room, occasionally rushing over to a pair deemed too close, or a group that was becoming to belligerent.

"Gawd, you'd think they thought we were going to start an orgy or something!" one dark haired girl snorted after one chaperone walked by the cluster of females, leaving a warning of the threat of detention in his wake. Yuzu smiled a small smile at her classmate, before shyly glancing over to the wall behind her. Nope, he was just where she left him twenty minutes ago…

Toushiro _really_ hated this. The music was way too loud, the lights were annoying, and it was too warm with all the bodies milling about. His teal eyes followed the tall dark man as he slinked by the little pod that contained his date, but he was too far to hear his words. There was something ominous about the guy, but for some reason, Toushiro couldn't place a finger on it yet. It didn't _smell_ like a Hollow, and didn't seem to be aware of the Soul Reaper in its midst….hmm, maybe it was simply his nerves getting the better of him.

"Toushiro-san? Is, is something wrong?"

He started at Yuzu's voice. She looked sad and lonely, he thought, and mentally kicked himself for ever agreeing to this whole deal in the first place.

"No, nothing. Well, maybe a little warm, what with all these people here."

She smiled sympathetically. "Would you like to get some fresh air?" She gently grasped his pale wrist, and he found himself complying ("Sure!") before he realized it. With skill that surprised him, she discreetly snuck the two of them out a side door into the hallway. She led him on until she found an open and empty classroom. Judging by the contents and spaciousness, he surmised it to be the school music room. Yuzu dropped his hand and leaned against the chalkboard.

"Are you having a good time?"

Crap. "Uh, oh yeah, sure."

"Liar."

Crapcrapcarp! "What? What do you mean by that?!" Toushiro's face flamed and his necktie felt as constrictive as a hangman's noose.

Her lip was drawn into a little pout, her cheeks flushed with emotion. "You haven't said more than 2 words since I met you, you spent all night holding up the wall, and you've glared away anyone who said hello! If you didn't want to be here, you should have just not have come! At least I could have used the pity I would have gotten by being stood up and gotten a dance or 2 out of _someone_ and salvaged a little of my evening!"

Toushiro's face burned. It had been ages since he'd been scolded. He still hated it. "You didn't have to say yes when my 'aunt' asked you!"

"I said yes because she said you had a hard time making friends!"

"So you pitied me then!"

"Yes! Because I know what it's like to feel lonely!!"

The pair eyed each other, gauging their previous statements and the ramifications behind them. _'Lonely? Have I been lonely?'_ He pondered this revelation. He had Momo and Rangiku and many other Soul Reapers as friends and colleagues. But they all _were_ older than him…. He'd never really bothered to know anyone his own age. But then again, he'd always thought himself above childish things. Was he wrong? Did he need this type of companionship after all? Is this why he'd been feeling the things he did tonight?

"I…"he struggled to find the words that would appease her and explain everything. "I…I…." She waited expectantly, leaning forward in curiosity.

"I….IDON'TKNOWHOWTODANCE!" he blurted out the words in a torrent. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Where the _**hell**_did_ that _comefrom!! Toushiro squeezed his eyes shut, knowing his face was beet red from his neck to his hairline and hating every moment of it.

The rushed proclamation seemed to roar through the room, the force of it pressing Yuzu back against the wall with amazement. "Oh… Is that all? Well, that's no reason to be upset! Lots of people our age don't know how to dance!"

He cracked an eye at her. "O-oh?"

The smiling glow from when they met seemed to be flowing through her again, causing his stomach to flip, while at the same time, make him feel oddly happy. "Mm-hmm! But, lucky for _you_-" she playfully tapped him on the nose with a wink. "_My_ daddy gave me a lesson or two!"

"Great." He replied weakly.

Yuzu's face grew serious as lessons began. "Now, simple is the best way to start. Take this hand and hold it here-" she lifted up his right arm and entwined their fingers together. "Aaand this hand goes here-" she placed the other hand on the top of her hip. Involuntarily, his body stiffened. "And my hand goes on your shoulder, like this! Ready?"

Toushiro forced a sound out his mouth that he hoped sounded affirmative. "Okay, now then watch my feet-step back…and to the side…. now forward…and to the other side…. good! Now we turn a little bit…"

A third of him was paying attention. Another third was in a gooey mess at the contact, and the last third was screaming warnings about what might happen if Ichigo found out he was manhandling his baby sister. Suuuure, great times. Nothing like having a hyper-powered substitute soul reaper clamoring for your blood!

"Hey, you got it! See, it's not hard at all!"

He was going to reply when a shiver went through him. But this time, it wasn't the pretty little thing in his arms creating it. "Um, Yuzu…I, uh, I need to use the men's room real quick before we return."

Her eyes lit with hope. "You wanna try dancing in the gym?"

"Oh, well, uh…" Ooo, he'd backed himself into that one! "Um, yeah, I mean, I'll try, okay?"

She nodded brightly, happy that the evening was salvageable after all. "Meet 'cha there!" She skipped out the door, humming along. Toushiro watched until the gym door closed completely before popping a soul candy in his mouth and felt the familiar sense of weightlessness as he was released from the gigai.

Take care of the Kurosaki girl until I return." He instructed the substitute, his body cool and composed.

"Yes, sir!" The soul nodded and jogged off in the same direction as Yuzu. Toushiro turned in the opposite direction and up towards the roof of the school, feeling the icy invisible thread tug him as if he was a fish on a hook. He barged through the door, heedless of the loud clang, one hand on the hilt of his sword.

"So…. It _was_ you."

About 20 feet away, weaving as if strung out, was the very same chaperone that had passed by Yuzu and her friends just moments before. The man's face was contorted with madness, the eyes nothing more than holes of darkness. He began to pant in feverish delight as it caught Toushiro's scent.

"Why don't you leave that pathetic shell and face me, Hollow!"

"OoOOooo, Allllll in due timmmme……..Soul Reaper…" The voice was high and warbley, like a saw blade being shaken. "I'mmmm not finished with this onnnnnne yeeeeett."

Toushiro grimaced with disgust as he took in the demonic gaze of the man's eyes, the twisted jaw, the slackened limbs. There was no need to hold back anymore, the boy realized. This body was nothing more than a fleshy puppet, controlled by a moral-less beast inside.

'_Just like the kind that got Kaien….'_ He thought darkly. "You won't have time to finish _this_ meal, Hollow!"

"Biiiig talk, Soooooul Reaaaper…. Perhapssss I will come out and plaaaay…. I did eat all the goooooood parts already!" The man lifted his head and opened its mouth. There was a sick, wet sound, and suddenly a dark shape emerged from it. A pair of glowing eyes appeared, and with more wet, sloppy sounds, the hollow emerged like a locust from its cocoon, unfolding itself to twice the man's height. 2 muscular limbs angled out like a spider's, supporting its wrinkly, prune-shaped body. 2 short arms tipped in pincers jutted out beneath a shark's maw of pointed teeth, a spiked tongue winding around its lips.

"Hmph. So you're big _and _ugly. Nothing new there."

"Jealousssss? I wasssss like you onceeeee…… Beautiful and strong……IIIIIII used to go to this school- **Until that Bastard Made Me Leave**!" It growled in fury, the tremulous tone replaced with venom

"…Made you leave?" The moon-haired boy echoed.

"I ruled thissss school!!" It was back to using it's effeminate tone. "IIIII was beautiful, rich, soooooooo clever! I cooould manipulate annnnnyone I wannnted! For a priccccceeee, I fixed grades, sold answers assss well asssss…. personal iformationnnn….. " Its tone darkened once more. "**But that one refused to play along! Instead of paying up, **_**he**_** got me booted out! I was so humiliated by the publicity, I was forced to take my own life!!"**

Again, it's sneer altered to a placated grin. "I waited aaaaagessssss for my revenge, but now I've had it………I want Mooooooooorrrrrreeeeeeee!!" It waved its tiny hands in glee.

"Not on my watch."

The beast's mood darkened once more. Seemingly tired of chit-chat, it opened its jaws and rushed the teen, who deftly leaped over it. It slid to a stop, turned, and charged again. But again, Toushiro simply used his agility to avoid it. "**Quit Moving!**" It snarled, already beginning to pant.

"Hmph. Tired already? Not surprised. You're just a low-level Hollow, after all." He unsheathed his sword and released its power." And my zanpakuto has tasted the blood of Arrancars!"

In an eye blink, he leapt forward. In another, he appeared by the Hollow, who lunged in his direction. Another eye blink, and the massive mandibles snapped tight on tasteless air. A fourth eye blink, and the boy wonder was above the ovoid body. With a roar, Toushiro thrust the sharp blade home, and the Hollow exploded into a million shards with a roar of rage.

"Hn. That was barely a warm-up." He said with disappointment and disgust. Returning the sword to its scabbard, he walked over to the fallen chaperone. The body was melting into rank, dark ooze, no doubt a side effect of being contaminated by the selfish beast for so long. He shook his head- there was nothing that could be done now. Bastard Hollows. Toushiro mouthed a few silent words over the decaying form, then turned away and casually walked to the roof door.

As he descended, he again thought about how easily the Hollow had fallen. "Hmph. All this fuss and nonsense…. even one of the academy students could have dealt with that with minor difficulty! Really, where is the honor when fighting such an unworthy opponent? I—"

!!

Just inside the gym door, Yuzu stood next to his gigai, who had taken the liberty of casually wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He was chatting up Yuzu's friends, who giggled in response. Toushiro's teal eyes turned red as ugly fury contorted his features. Something white-hot flamed through his abdomen, causing his aura to flare.

"_WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"_ He roared. The substitute soul (the only creation capable of hearing it) stopped smiling flirtatiously at the girls and glanced up. His face paled at the demonic presence of one uber-angry shinigami.

"Are you okay, Toushiro-kun?" One girl asked.

"Um, yes. Excuse me!" He released Ichigo's sister and ran into the restroom. Toushiro followed, his spiritual pressure forcing the other against the water pipes. "S-s-sir? I, I, uh-"

"Can it!" The captain barked. "Why did you have your arms around that girl!?"

"I-I just thought that's wha-what you did on a, on a date." The substitute stammered, seconds away from wetting the borrowed suit.

Toushiro jumped as if he had been slapped. "THIS IS NOT A DATE- IT"S A _MISSION!!_" With that, he reached down the gigai's throat and yanked out the Soul Candy. Slipping back into the slender, muscled frame, he contemplated chucking the pill down the plumbing…but then decided that was a paperwork headache he _really_ didn't want.

So instead he smoothed his hair and shirt and walked out into the hall. Yuzu was alone at the door, sullenly scuffing her shoe into the flooring. "Um….hey. Sorry about leaving like that."

She whipped her head up. "Are you a schizoid?" She barked.

"H-huh?"

"You know, do you have that disease where you have like, eleven hundred different personalities?"

"N-nooo…" He quirked an eyebrow in cautious confusion.

"Then what's the deal here? First you act all standoffish, then you tell me you don't know how to dance, so I teach you, but you become an absolute _letch_, then you freak and run away!"

"I…. wasn't aware I was hurting you." He said softly. "I'm…I've never been very good at socializing. I guess I'm always trying to over-complicate things…"

She eyed him as if she didn't quite believe.

"I….. you said I was acting like a jerk before, remember? Well, I wanted to prove to you I wasn't the ice cube you might have thought I was, and I guess, well, I guess I over-compensated."

A light blush graced his face as he ducked his head in what he hoped she'd find a pleasing manner. "I really am sorry. I…. don't suppose you still want to dance?" He asked sheepishly as he offered a hand. The brown-eyed girl stared at the proffered hand a long while before smiling and accepting it, pulling him along behind her.

"Sure, why not?"

As they moved through the crowd, Toushiro marveled, first at the softness of the girl's hand, then at the way she easily manipulated emotions he wasn't even aware he possessed! Just a few moments ago he'd been angry enough to kill an army of Arranacars, but now here he was, as mollified as a scolded puppy being allowed back into its master's home!

Yuzu glanced up towards the stage, where the principal adjusted the microphone for an older girl. Yuzu didn't know her name, but was aware of her singing ability and reputation. A hopeless romantic, she tended to sing only American love ballads. Perfect.

The band started up, and the girl began to sing. The lights dimmed (though not enough that the chaperones couldn't see!) to a soft glow. Yuzu finally stopped, content at the chosen location, and turned to the white-haired boy. Almost too eagerly, Toushiro put his hands into position, causing Yuzu to gasp slightly. Blushing, she nodded for him to lead. Gingerly, gingerly, he stepped backwards, pulling her forward. He concentrated on his movements, doing his best to avoid the other couples, as well as the lady's pink clad toes. He wasn't really listening to the music, but one lyric happened to catch his ear…

_… Touch me once and you know it's true. I never, ever felt like this, it's so brand new, you'll feel it in my kiss, I'm crazy for you!_

The youngest captain of the Gotei 13 blushed, and stepped a touch closer to the doe-eyed girl.

**-:-**

"Wow, what a beautiful night!" Yuzu stretched her arms over her head with a happy sigh. "Thank you again for walking me home, 'Shiro-kun. You didn't have to."

Hands in his pant pockets, Toushiro shrugged casually. "It's okay. I wouldn't have felt right if I didn't."

The Kurosaki home was only a 15-minute walk away, and true, crime was extremely low in the area. But since the skirmish with the Hollow on the roof of the school, Toushiro was loath to let the girl go unprotected. Besides…. being near the girl this long had led to a rather…comfortable sensation. So here they were, alone on a quiet street, lit only by streetlight, serenaded by crickets and the occasional car horn in the distance. It was nice. It was _really_ nice!

"Well, here we are!" Yuzu said as the reached the side door. Ruefully, she let her eyes wander up to the softly lit window. Karin was awake, no doubt, patiently waiting for details. Funny, she thought, when she had mentioned Toushiro's name to her, Karin had acted as if she was familiar with the boy. Hmmm.

"'Shiro-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know my sister, Karin?"

Somewhere in his male brain, a screaming alarm sounded. This somehow was a loaded question, and had to be answered carefully! "Um, well, yeah, kinda. I saw her playing soccer once. We chatted for a few minutes, but I haven't seen her since."

"She's very nice."

"Yea, she is."

"Very outgoing and confident."

"Yeah, she sure is."

"So you _do_ like her."

_WHAT?!_ Aw, man! Wasn't _**anything**_ easy with human girls?!

"I-I never said that!!"

"Not in so many words."

"Look-" Toushiro grabbed her pale wrist and stared sternly into her wide brown eyes. "I barely spoke to her. She's a nice girl, but I don't think of her like that, okay!"

Yuzu held her breath. "Like…how?"

The white-haired boy snarled in frustration. "I don't _know_ how! Just not the same way I think of you, okay? Jeez!"

Yuzu smiled despite herself. "Oh. Okay." She bent down and picked up a small ceramic frog, sliding open a secret compartment to retrieve the spare key. "Well, I had a nice time dancing with you, for what it's worth."

Toushiro stared at her. Angry one minute, complacent the next. Women! Why in the world did level-headed guys like himself get mixed up with them?!

A soft click heralded the opening of the door, and Yuzu replaced the key and set the figurine back into place. She trusted the boy not to tell about it. Or about what she was going to do next.

"I really did have a nice time with you tonight. I know we had a few misunderstandings, but I'd really like it if we could become good friends in the long run."

His teal eyes softened at her genuineness. "I'd like that too, Yuzu-chan. Maybe another time we-"

Now it was his eyes turn to widen ridiculously as Yuzu pressed her lips against his. They were soft and warm, and tasted like lipstick. She pulled back, and his lungs frantically tried to remember how to pace his breathing.

"Call me sometime!" she said brightly before closing the door behind her. He waved as best he could through the rigor mortis that suddenly had consumed him. Still dazed, he turned around and staggered down the street and back to Orihime's apartment.

Across the street, a big smile of amusement plastered across her face, Rangiku Masumoto watched the scene unfold. With a _snap!_ She folded up a borrowed pair of binoculars. If she kept to the rooftops, she should make it home just before him. Her smile grew as she imagined him trying to explain the dopey look on his face! And if she was REALLY lucky, she could get Orihime into pulling out all the juicy details!

"Better hurry home, young man!" Rangiku murmured. "You are _way_ past your bedtime! Haha!"

Oblivious, Toushiro sighed. Yuzu made him feel more different than he ever had before? What were these emotional strings she pulled so easily? Could he really continue seeing her, knowing inevitably he'd have to return to the Soul Society and leave her behind?

….And was there just a shadowy figure leaping overhead?

"Oh, Noooo!" Toushiro wailed as his mind put two and two together. Heaven help him, indeed!

_Btw- 'Crazy for you' is owned by Madonna. Ok, sirs, what do u think?_


End file.
